A'S-2ND/01JUN99/SP/BW--Miguel Cairo slid hard into second base to break up a double play in the 2nd inning. Miguel Tejada defends. By Brant Ward/Chronicle

A'S-2ND/01JUN99/SP/BW--Miguel Cairo slid hard into second base to break up a double play in the 2nd inning. Miguel Tejada defends. By Brant Ward/Chronicle

Photo: BRANT WARD

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A'S-TEJADA/01JUN99/SP/BW--Miguel Tejada threw out Jose Canseco in the 2nd inning. By Brant Ward/Chronicle

A'S-TEJADA/01JUN99/SP/BW--Miguel Tejada threw out Jose Canseco in the 2nd inning. By Brant Ward/Chronicle

Photo: BRANT WARD

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Chavez's Key Hit Lifts A's by Rays

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Six weeks or so into the season, Rookie of the Year talk about Eric Chavez subsided, as he was hitting around the .200 mark and had lost the full-time third-base job, platooning with the heretofore unknown Olmedo Saenz.

But now that Kansas City rookies Carlos Beltran and Carlos Febles have ripped away all the rookie attention, Chavez is slowly starting to reassert himself. He extended his career-best hitting streak to six games last night with a three-run double, the winning blow as the A's managed just three hits but downed Tampa Bay 5-2 to move four games over .500 (28-24), matching their season high.

"It was weird looking up there at the scoreboard -- I was going, 'There's no way we're going to win with three hits,' " said Chavez, who also initiated a double play in the eighth inning that squelched the Devil Rays' bases-loaded threat. "But . . . any way you get the job done."

Tampa Bay also loaded the bases with one out in the top of the ninth, and Chavez nearly started another double play, but Miguel Cairo was too fast getting to first. Billy Taylor struck out Fred McGriff to end the game and record his 13th save.

Oakland has won seven of its past eight games, and 12 of 13 at home. Starter Kenny Rogers (3-2) is particularly fond of Network Associates Coliseum; he has a 15-game winning streak in Oakland, dating back to 1994, when he was pitching for Texas. Over his past five starts, Rogers is 3-0 with a 1.09 ERA.

Chavez, remarkably, drove in just one run all of April, even though he was playing nearly every day at that point.

"It was very difficult for me," Chavez said of his terrible start. "It was a real rough time. I wasn't even talking to my family members. My mom had to call and say, 'Don't forget about us.' I was in such a shell, I forgot about everyone else."

His lack of production put Saenz into the picture, and the former White Sox farmhand will still get the call against most left-handed starters, although Chavez might be in the lineup against Wilson Alvarez today if Saenz is at first. Chavez certainly has turned it up: He had 10 RBIs in 20 games in May, has driven in six runs in the past six games and is 8 for his past 21 (.381).

Chavez came up with one out and the bases loaded in the fourth last night, and hit a drive to left center off journeyman Dave Eiland (0-1), who was otherwise impressive in making his first start for Tampa Bay.

Catcher Mike Macfarlane had suggested Chavez's clout before he even went to the plate.

Chavez said, "I was kidding around during the batter before and said 'It's time to blast one off,' and Mike said, 'That's a good idea, Chavey, why don't you do that?' "

Most people in the A's organization were convinced Chavez would start clicking offensively; he has batted over .300 at every level. The surprising thing is Chavez's play in the field. He had a worrisome start, making five errors in 17 games, but since then, Chavez hasn't made an error in 22 games, and he has made several marvelous plays.

"I'm very pleased with Chavey's defense," A's manager Art Howe said. "I knew his bat would be there, but his defense has been a real plus."

With one out and the bases loaded in the top of the eighth after Taylor hit Herbert Perry, Chavez corraled a hard grounder by Aaron Ledesma and went to second for the first out, and Jorge Velandia -- who entered the game in the seventh purely for defensive purposes -- threw on to first to complete the double play.

Chavez's blow was all the A's really needed last night, even though they were outhit for the second night in a row by the Devil Rays, who collected 10 hits -- that makes it 21 hits for Tampa Bay, 10 for Oakland going into the final game of the series, but the A's have out-scored the Devil Rays 15-9.

"Intelligent hitting" is what Rogers called the A's output last night. "Smart hitters make them count."

One of two errors by normally reliable Tampa Bay shortstop Kevin Stocker helped the A's to a run, and an error by right fielder Dave Martinez on Scott Spiezio's sacrifice fly in the fourth accounted for another.

Some good baserunning by catcher A. J. Hinch precipitated the score on Stocker's second error. Hinch went from first to third on Tony Phillips' seventh-inning groundout, a high chopper to third. With two out, Hinch crossed the plate when Stocker couldn't come up with Miguel Tejada's routine grounder.